Dream Big

Hi Everyone. I made another page for Eileen's Dreams/Wishes theme at Art Journal Journey. I used some of my handmade art prompt cards to get me started, as my mojo has been away on holiday ;-)

I want to say thanks to everyone for your good wishes after my last post. The gastroscope found nothing too bad, and went reasonably well thankfully, although it took three attempts to find a vein big enough for the cannula! I felt like a pin cushion!

Thanks for visiting,

Alison xox

More Circle Fun

Hello Everyone. I have another two pages to share today for Birgit Koopsen's Everything Circles Instagram Challenge.

Day 10 - Adhered a manual page, added a light layer of gesso, sketched circles with Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks, activated with water, then stamped a Carabelle Studio circle design with black ink. Finished with a Tim Holtz phrase sticker and some pink splatters.

Day 11 - I was inspired by a fun technique from Kim Dellow today, she called it Paper Doodling. I'm linking this page to Wendy's Having Fun theme at Art Journal Journey.

Have a great evening everyone,

Alison xox

A Surprise, My Art Journal Calendar, & A New Instagram Challenge

Hi Everyone!

It was Mothering Sunday here in the UK at the weekend, and I had a huge surprise last Thursday. Hubby announced that we were heading up to the Peak District for a hiking weekend. He'd hoped that we could meet up with our kids as it was Mothering Sunday, but unfortunately they were both busy.

But, as we arrived at the cottage, our daughter hung out of the upstairs window, shouting 'Surprise!!!' She called me inside, and presented me with these gorgeous designer boots she'd bought in Spain. They fit perfectly!

We then walked down to the village pub for some dinner, and our son was there to greet us, holding out a beautiful bouquet of roses for me.

I can't tell you how blessed I felt! We spent a wonderful weekend, hiking in the sunshine.

After spending yesterday cleaning out the guinea piggy and catching up with washing, I finally found time today, to create my April art journal calendar. As I used a PaperArtsy stencil for the journaling flowers, I'm sharing my pages at Try It On Tuesday's 'Use A Stencil or Two' challenge.

And Birgit Koopsen is hosting an Instagram challenge called Everything Circles, asking us to create circle themed art for every day in April. My April calendar pages are for Day 3, and here are pages for Days 1 & 2...

The next page has a window cut to see the previous page through...

I have been suffering a bit with a creative block lately, so I'm hoping this challenge will bump me out of it!

Thanks for visiting,

Alison xox

And The Soul Is Revived...

Afternoon All!

It's been a beautiful Spring day here, and I popped along to the National Trust's Emmett's Garden this afternoon. I sat in the woods eating my fruity picnic and doing a spot of crochet, and listening to the birds. Heaven!!!

I've just started the Demelza Blanket, commissioned by my nephew...

I kept hearing little rustlings in the leaves behind my bench, a tiny vole or mouse probably. I saw movement, but it didn't surface.

This magnolia hadn't lost all of its petals yet...

and the daffs are still out in force...

The rock garden is one of my favourite parts...

This morning, before I went out, I created a floral art journal page for Jo's Hello Springtime theme at Art Journal Journey...

It was a page in my Dina Wakley journal, with some leftover paint on, and I used Dina's Scribble Sticks to draw flowers, spritzing with water to activate. The centres are circles punched from a gel print. I finished with marks, scribble writing and a lovely quote I found on the web.

Hope you've had (or will have) a lovely day wherever you are in the world.

Alison xox

Dreaming of Spring

Welcome Everyone!

I'm really struggling to get motivated lately, what with changing my diet and remembering to take medication, but I managed to create this double page spread in my 6x4" art journal today. The teal paint was already there, which helped. And we have Jo's wonderful Hello Springtime theme over at Art Journal Journey, to which I'll be linking.

I created some texture on the teal paint, using a comb to apply white Fresco acrylic. Then I adhered some book page scraps, used an orange Scribble Stick to make marks, and black Fresco acrylic and a lid to print circles.

I stamped the butterflies (Innovative Stamp Creations) onto book page, cut them out, and added them, then finished with splatters, and wrote the words with my glass dip pen and black Bombay India ink.

Hope to be back again soon! Thanks for visiting.

Alison xox

5 Minute Art Journaling Day 3

Hi Everyone!

My 5 minute journaling today was inspired by a wonderful visit to the Frida Kahlo exhibition with my daughter, at The V&A museum in London. It was amazing to see Frida's art, her beautiful clothes, and the awful corsets she had to wear after her many operations. Also lots of photos of her looking so beautiful. She really was an amazing and inspirational woman and artist in my opinion. The exhibition is well worth a visit if you can get to it.

Anyway, here's my page. I got a few elements ready this time, as the 5 minutes goes so quickly! It really is a rush! Hahaha!

Hoping to enter this page last minute for Chris' Art For Art's Sake Challenge at Art Journal Journey.

Hope you've had a great day too!

Alison xox

Queen Bee

Happy Friday Everyone! Hope you're all having a good one! It's our 27th Wedding Anniversary today. We're not doing anything special, but we did toast ourselves with a glass of Pinot Grigio with our salad lunch.

Whilst Hubby's out in the garden clearing and repairing the shed, I created another page for Jo's Flora & Fauna Challenge at Art Journal Journey. I used PaperArtsy Masks and Fresco Finish Chalk Paint, and Dina Wakley Stamps and Scribble Sticks.

I'm off to make a cuppa and offer some help in the garden.

Ta ta for now,

Alison xox

Beautiful Chaos

Hello Folks. Here's another page for my Recycle & Collage Challenge at Art Journal Journey. 

I started with torn Gelli Prints, then added some paint, stenciling, collage circles, paper lace and marks. I used a blue Scribble Stick to outline the collage circles. Acrylic paint drips were added, then the quote and Paper Doll. I finished with some pencil shading and splatters. Chaos indeed!

Happy Tuesday,

Alison xoc

Water Soluble Crayons, Primary Colours and A Green Bough

Hello Everyone!

It's the final day of Birgit Koopsen's Gelli Print Challenge sadly. It's been such a fun month, trying out different mediums and techniques on my Gelli Plate. Here are the final two prompts.

Day 30 - Water Soluble Crayons - this took a bit of practise, and experimentation, and inspiration from other people. Laying down a stencil, scribbling with Gelatos through, then blending with my fingers, then applying white acrylic and taking a print worked well.

Some ghost prints...

Dry drawing on the plate with Gelatos and using white acrylic to take a print, not such good results. Water is definitely needed to activate the colours better.

Then I spotted Sarah Anderson's idea of applying black paint, laying a stencil on it, taking a print to remove the black design, then using a wet crayon to colour in the stencil spaces. I used Scribble Sticks, and I love the stained glass effect.

And I also spritzed water onto the Gelli Plate, and drew a design with Gelatos, following a tip from Ruth Mescall.

Day 31 - Primary Colours - Not colours I would normally choose, but I loved the effects of the colours overlapping.

And finally, I created a page in my art journal, using one of my Gelli Plate prints. I'm entering it for the last day of Rosie's 'Spring' challenge at Art Journal Journey.

Have a lovely weekend,

I'll see you tomorrow with my Easter makes,

Alison x

Emotions Exposed

Hello All!

Not a lot of art has been made this week. Firstly, I've been reading The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (aka J. K. Rowling). It's a really great yarn, and I thoroughly recommend it, as well as her first RG novel A Cuckoo's Calling. There's a third novel, Career of Evil, which I've got primed and ready. Secondly, my recently returned from uni daughter has been planning her gap year travels, to NZ, OZ, and SE Asia. The thought of her disappearing again, for 8 months, has left me a little low, having just got her back. But she assures me that she's sensible, and it'll be safe travel with friends and like-minded people. So that's the reason for the title of this page I made late last night.

It was the result of 18 of my art prompt cards, mainly to get my mojo back, and take my mind off of other matters. I'm linking up to Art Journal Journey's Colour In My World Challenge.

Happy Friday to you all,

Alison x

Daisy Yellow ICAD Challenge 2017 - Week Eight

Hello Everyone! Thanks for dropping in!

I can't believe we're into the final few days of Daisy Yellow's ICAD Challenge. It's been so much fun to spend time making a little bit of art every day. These 3x5 inch cards are so quick to decorate, with Tammy's interesting and wonderful prompts.

Here are my Week Eight Index Cards...

And, here is a bonus challenge card I did, a blind contour self-portrait. Opened my eyes then shut them again to do the body, so cheated a little!

I also couldn't resist doing another Day 55 index card for my Dina Wakley Media journal.

Thanks again for visiting, and I hope you'll leave me a comment to let me know what you think. I really appreciate every comment.

Happy Wednesday!

Alison x

Daisy Yellow ICAD Challenge - Week Six

Here are my 3x5 inch index cards from week six of Daisy Yellow's ICAD Challenge. The bottom card (today's) was inspired by a Rae Missigman YouTube tutorial. 

Hope you're all having a great week!

Alison x

P.S. Just to let you know, I changed my blog address as it was too long, so if you bookmarked my blog and it's not working, that's why. Sorry!